


Growth

by AeonFrodo



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-18
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-12 05:05:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/807595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonFrodo/pseuds/AeonFrodo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Racoon City Incident had changed everybody's lives, but none more so than Sherry Birkin's. In a life of government custody and beyond, she experiences the best and worst moments of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Empty Space

_“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”_ – Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Staring at the small plastic Christmas tree on the desk, Sherry Birkin wondered why she celebrated this holiday. It was all about spending time with family and giving something special to everyone. She had no family left and she had given too much over the course of her life. The Christmas tree represented everything that was taken from her, beyond her control.

She was only a young girl when the Racoon City Incident happened, and because of the disaster her life was transformed. Even though she had escaped the infected city alive, she was given the G-virus directly from her mutated father. She was lucky that Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, the people that had saved her life, found a vaccine. However the virus was still in her body, a reminder that she didn’t get out unharmed. Not only that, but the city was literally wiped off the map, as a missile was launched to prevent the G-virus from spreading.

There was nothing left for her to return to. No home, and no photos of her deceased parents and community she had spent her childhood in. She was lucky that the government had kept two photos of her childhood. One had featured her parents when they were younger, before her birth, and the other was a family portrait taken when she was five years old, which was in a frame near the Christmas tree. It was something, but wasn’t enough to heal her completely.

The only thing she gained were two irreplaceable friends in Leon and Claire. They had protected and saved her life during Racoon City, while also remaining positive. She was, and still, looked up to them as role models in her life. She even had this foolish dream that they could replace her parents and raise her into adulthood. Looking back on that thought, Sherry could see how childish it was. Claire was searching for her older brother at the time and Leon was starting his career. The government wanted her more than her friends.

Although, government care had treated her horribly, with almost daily blood testing and the occasional experiment performed on her every now and again. Not to mention she wasn’t allowed out and have a normal life like children her age had. The man she thought that cared for her, her legal guardian, Derek Clifford Simmons, used her to further his dreams and manipulated her to believe that he had good intentions. It made her sick that she had placed so much trust in him for almost fifteen years. The G-Virus which lay dormant in her body had cursed her with regenerative powers. It was the reason why Derek Simmons used her for his ambitions.

And yet, here she was. In her own apartment, earning her keep and finally living her life. It took twenty seven years to get her to this moment. However, she felt like she had given up the most important years of her life. The years she considered the most developmental in any life. Adolescence and early adulthood. They were the years of discovery, sexuality and most importantly growth, both physically and mentally.

Yet, Sherry didn’t have that. She was confined in a government facility for a month, then for nine years a foster home with almost daily trips to the government facility for experimentation. Her apartment was a major step up from those places, but under the direct supervision of Derek Simmons left her far from free. It was only in the past six months that she had free reign over most things in her life.

It had to be those moments in life, the ones that appeared insignificant, that made her the person she was today. As much as she wanted to turn back the clock to get her adolescence and early adulthood years back, the end result was worth all the suffering. And it gave her a reason to continue fighting bioterrorism.

A knock on the door that sounded like thunder broke her thoughts. Sherry wasn’t expecting anyone over, so she wondered who it was. She was certain it was not Claire, knowing she would be incredibly busy until Christmas Day. Her guess was that Leon was the person at the door and he was probably just visiting before Christmas.

Sherry quickly stood up and headed towards the door. Despite being caught off guard, she was looking forward to seeing the visitor, especially because the person would put her in a better mood.

She approached the door, opening it to reveal a very nice surprise.


	2. Family

“Hey, Super girl.”

Sherry smiled, knowing that the only person who called her by that nickname stood in the doorway. She was glad that Jake Muller was in high spirits too, telling by the tone and the slight smile when he spoke. 

The last time she had seen him was soon after her last field mission was completed, just before she hopped on a plane to report the result to headquarters. The goodbye was brief, but he promised to meet her again. She was conflicted whether his timing was bad or impeccable, but she did not want that thought to show.

“It’s good to see you again Jake. Come in,” Sherry responded.

Jake let himself in Sherry’s apartment and scanned the surroundings. He was surprised how homey she made the place, even with the small kitchen connected directly to the lounge room. The positioning of the furniture made a great set up. 

There were two stools on the lounge room side of the bench. Although it appeared to not utilize the space, Jake could see that guests would want more bench space for beverages and meals. Instead of more stools, there was an appropriately sized mahogany table with two chairs that weren’t opposite each other. Jake noted that the chairs were placed that way because it would be impossible to pull the chair out with a stool too close by. He could imagine the awkwardness of not being directly opposite Sherry, but there was a certain intimacy about the position of the seating that appealed to him. Although he didn’t want to figure out the reasoning for that feeling yet.

He looked up, admiring how her entertainment set up. Even though he had noticed the back of the creamy white couch and the decent flat screen television in the corner, his focus was on the huge, black bean bag that was used as a seat to watch T.V. He would seriously love to attempt to perform a front flip onto the bean bag just for fun.

However, his sight picked up a small desk to the right of the couch that had a small plastic Christmas tree with a photo frame near it. The final things he had noticed was there was one room he could see a doorway to and a small hallway he had assumed lead to the bathroom and possibly another room. The lounge room had also lead to a small balcony, but it was already dark and the only things he could see were the city lights.

“This is a pretty cool place. How did you get it?” Jake enquired.

“It would take a little while to explain,” Sherry stated, “Anyway, would you like something to drink?”

“Coffee. Two sugars.”

“Coming right up.”

As Sherry opened the cupboard to retrieve the ingredients, Jake sauntered towards the small table next to the couch. He was curious why she would have a photo frame so close to the base of the little Christmas tree. Perhaps it had people that Sherry wanted to remember, or had spent time with around Christmas.

While Jake grew closer, he glanced back to check if Sherry had her back turned. To his relief, she was, making the coffee he requested. He was afraid she may turn and see that he was probably looking at something too personal for his eyes. But that fear did not deter him from his curiosity.

The twenty one year old carefully picked up the frame to have one of his thoughts confirmed. It was an extremely personal photograph. It was a family portrait of the Birkin family. A younger Sherry was grinning ear to ear between her mother and father. Both her parents were happy too. Everything seemed perfect. But Racoon City took that all away.

Intriguingly, there was a passport sized photo stuck in the corner of the frame. It was of a man, around his mid twenties. He had short brown hair with a thin fringe brushed to the left slightly. He was clean shaven, except for the tiny bit of hair under his bottom lip. The only other feature was his white collared business shirt. From the expressionless appearance of the man, Jake could gather it was an ID photo. Perhaps it was the only photo Sherry had of him. 

But who was he? Obviously he was somebody significant in Sherry’s life, but how did he impact her life, or what was he? Did he save her from herself? Was he a close friend? Or friend of the family? So many questions ran through Jake’s mind, wanting to know who this man was. He quickly peeped over at Sherry, realising she was almost done brewing up his beverage. Maybe he could bring him up a little bit later, as much as he wanted to clear up the mystery swiftly.

Jake placed the frame where he had found it, and turned around, walking towards the kitchen bench. He took a seat on the stool, slouching over the bench slightly. He could smell the fresh aroma of coffee wafting in the air. It was a strong scent, a sign that drink was ready to serve.

As soon as Jake had that thought, Sherry had placed the mug on the bench in front of him, filled with the dark liquid he loved. Despite that it was piping hot, Jake took an impatient sip of his drink. Just from that one taste, he felt the caffeine rush through his body, going straight to his head. He suddenly felt alert, which was exactly what he needed.

He watched Sherry grab her own cup of coffee, with both hands on the mug. Unlike him though, she didn’t try her hot drink yet. Instead, she observed him, wondering if she made it good enough for his liking.

“Is it good?” Sherry enquired.

“Yeah, and it’s strong too. Thank you,” Jake answered with a smile.

“No problem. I kind of had a feeling that you would like a lot of flavour, so I added a bit more coffee to yours.”

Jake acknowledged Sherry, and took another quick swig of his drink before speaking again.

“So, what have you been doing since we parted?” Jake asked.

“Well, I haven’t been out on the field since. It’s because they had to arrange a new supervisor for me and some of the other agents because Simmons is dead, and because my mission with you took a lot longer than expected I was put on desk jobs and further training, psych tests and other things until they consider me for a field mission,” Sherry explained.

“When would you be expected to go on another mission?”

“After Christmas. Maybe before New Year’s or in January,” Sherry answered, “What have you been doing for the past six months?”

“I’ve been fighting B.O.W.s, and tracking down the hotspots to eliminate them from areas where communities have been wiped out. I try to contain and prevent them from spreading to unaffected areas. I was in the Middle East for a month cleaning up what the BSAA left behind and I was able to save a few lives.”

Sherry acknowledged Jake, but she wasn’t surprised that he would do such a thing. Risking his own life made Jake feel alive, where an average person would think he was crazy. Sherry could understand how he felt though. She had experienced huge adrenaline rushes when she or another person was in perilous situations during her field missions.

She was glad Jake would be helping others in need, hopefully not asking for too much from those poor people. But judging by his expression, she could tell that he was content with his new work and found something that would enrich his life.

Just as she drank some of her coffee, Jake stated, “You don’t sound happy about it.”

Sherry lowered her cup after swallowing the hot liquid. She could feel it burning her throat while she thought about her last response to Jake. She didn’t think she appeared unpleasant towards Jake and what he had done.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to come off like that. I’m really proud of you, but I’m not surprised that you would do something to risk your life,” Sherry clarified.

Jake had another mouthful of his drink, then responded, “You had me worried for a second. While I was there, I managed to reunite a boy with his family.”

By the tone of his voice, Sherry could tell Jake was feeling emotional about the topic. Remembering the details from his file, he was raised by his mother only, as his father, the notorious Albert Wesker, was planning world domination. She could tell that the family of this boy Jake saved had both his parents alive.

If she could read Jake’s mind at this moment, he was probably thinking of his own family and had desired to be raised by both his mother and father. On a level, she could empathise with him, as she had wished her parents were around her more often and that they lived longer. But there was no use in wishing for such an impossible scenario.

“His parents were so happy to see him alive. They hugged him and kissed him all over his face. I was pleased just to watch their reunion, and that I was the one who made it happen. Then... his father let go of him and wrapped his arms around me,” Jake continued, his voice becoming emotional, but restrained, “It felt strange being hugged by a father. I’ve never experienced it before, and I never would be hugged by my father. It left me wanting to help more families that have been affected by bioterrorism, so their children don’t suffer what I’ve been through.”

Sherry found Jake’s statement ironic. Despite their different backgrounds, environments they were raised in, they both had the same objective that had brought them to this moment. It was easy to see Jake’s reasoning, he was raised without a father. His father was one of the main causes of bioterrorism, being the puppet master behind the scenes in most of the attacks up until his death. Albert Wesker didn’t really care about Jake, he only cared about world domination and doing whatever he could to reach that goal.

For Jake, feeling his father’s love was foreign feeling. At least the hug from that father reinforced Jake’s resolve to save more innocent lives affected by bioterrorist attacks. She felt happy to hear his new life made him feel complete.

“What was it like having a father?” Jake enquired.

The twenty seven year old was surprised Jake would be asking her of all people about her father. Even though she did think of her dad just before Jake knocked on her door, she had never really thought what the experience was like. She carefully thought of her answer to Jake, while at the same time, wanted to be true to her own feelings towards her father.

“I’m not the best person to ask about it since it’s been a long time since my Dad was alive. But when he was home, he was gentle and loving towards me and Mum. He also taught me about science, and I loved it... until I knew what his experiments. I guess it’s always why I was willing to wait for my parents to arrive home after work, even if they came back at around midnight. Even though my father was one of the people involved in creating bio-organic weapons, he was a wonderful father,” Sherry replied.

Even though she had spoken so highly of her father, Jake could hear the pain behind those words. It was obvious why, despite that he saw the Christmas tree earlier. Families were allowed to have a break from their busy lives and spend time together.

“I’m glad he treated you well,” Jake responded, “It sounds like you really miss your parents around this time of year. They take breaks at Christmas, right?”

“Yeah, that’s when we spend the most time with each other. Other than my birthday,” Sherry stated dejectedly, “We sat around the table and ate together. Mum and Dad talked to me about the work they were doing, except for the G-Virus, which they kept secret from me. And I used to tell them about school and what I’ve learned. My father then would expand on anything that was related to science, and talk about future technologies that I would have access to when I grew up. Mum usually stops my father when he speaks way too much on science because she would rather keep her mind off it. They were wonderful memories. It’s a shame that it can never happen again.”

As soon as she said the last word, it hit her that Jake would’ve never had experienced Christmas. At least not like the way she could with her family. She immediately felt horrible for blabbing on about how her family did celebrate the holiday season.

“I really shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, no, no. It was great to hear it. And besides, it doesn’t affect me. I’ve never celebrated Christmas anyway.”

“How could it not affect you? Do you ever wonder what it would be like to celebrate it?”

“I haven’t had a taste of the Christmas spirit. My mother was too poor to celebrate, and she was always sick. And when I became a mercenary, getting cash after each of our jobs were our Christmas presents. That’s why I’m not affected. While you, you’ve had that experience with your family. And now that you have lost it, you want it back.”

Sherry had to admit Jake was right. She did desire to spend a Christmas with her parents again. However, she knew it wasn’t possible. The next best thing she had was the Christmas celebration with Chris and Claire and their friends.

Although, before she could talk, Jake had not finished with his speech yet.

“Since then, you probably enjoyed Christmas in someone else’s presence.”

All of a sudden, Sherry felt her anger rise. From what Jake implied, she could tell who he was talking about. She was aware she never told him this private detail, growing annoyed that he snooped around her apartment while she was busy.

Placing her coffee mug down on the kitchen bench, she leaned forward. Her depressed demeanour transforming into resentment before Jake’s eyes.

“Why the hell did you go around my apartment? Were you expecting to find something?” Sherry barked.

“Look, I thought since your parents had died that there was at least somebody else in your life-”

“You saw that photo of him, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but-”

“You had no fucking right! I didn’t say you could look at my photos!”

“The photos were on display near your Christmas tree. I doubt that would say to anyone ‘don’t look at them!’”

Sherry abruptly motioned her hand in the direction of the door aggressively. She had enough of his impoliteness.

“Get out. Now.”

“What the hell? I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Yes you did. Drink up your coffee and get the hell out of my apartment!”

“Fine. Merry fucking Christmas, Sherry.”

“You too, smartass.”

Jake stood up and sculled the rest of his coffee. Slamming the empty mug on the bench, he stormed out of her apartment without another word. Sherry had ignored him completely, sipping her coffee to calm down.

After a few minutes, Sherry had finally finished her beverage. But it had only settled her down slightly. She shut the door that was left open by the man who refused to admit he was in the wrong, irritated by his pride and insensitivity. She couldn’t believe that he would disrespect her privacy. After all, she only revealed to him little about her parents during the mission to escort him. 

Sherry spun around, quickly moving to the bean bag. Once in front of it, she fell back into its cushiony leather skin and sunk into it. It was the best way for her to relax. But she couldn’t help but to look over at the Christmas tree and the portrait standing next to it. 

Surely, Jake’s visit was very unexpected so it had given her no chance to place the picture in her bedroom. However, she felt that she shouldn’t have the photo of her parents and the small portrait of the man in the corner on display like that, especially near a Christmas tree.

The twenty seven year old sighed. She wished she could’ve controlled her anger better, perhaps attempted to be more understanding of Jake’s side of the story. Although, he had no clue what happened after the mission to her.

And Sherry would rather keep it that way. Everyone who knew about it was devastated. But most importantly of all, she was aware it had changed her for the worse.


	3. Death

Sherry couldn’t believe how fast Christmas day came after the night Jake visited. Sitting in the passenger’s side of the car, she stared out the window, her mind elsewhere other than the reality she was in. 

She wished she was thinking about the presents she had bought for all the guests at Claire and Chris’ Christmas get-together. Her thoughts were occupied by with Jake’s unexpected visit. She regretted lashing out at him, missing the opportunity to invite him to a Christmas party like this. Even though Chris, the man that killed his father, was present, he would’ve had a chance to have a taste of the Christmas spirit.

“Hey Sherry, is something wrong?”

Sherry was startled by her driver’s voice. She turned away from the window, giving her attention to her younger colleague, Helena Harper. Despite being three years younger than Sherry, Helena was an amazing agent and showed she could hold her own. Sherry first met her in China during their last mission, but barely spoke until after the eventual aftermath. Since then, they became fast friends and supported each other during their suffering.

After all, the two women had one major thing in common. Both their entire families were dead, except for themselves. Helena’s last surviving relative, her younger sister Deborah, died during the Tall Oaks Incident almost six months ago. It had rocked Helena’s life, because she was extremely close to her younger sister. Sherry was more than happy to provide emotional support for Helena, empathising with her situation.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine. Ever since that discovery we made your life hasn’t been the same.”

“I could say the same about your life.”

“Yeah, but that’s different. What happened after China... I can’t imagine what went through your mind back then.”

Sherry didn’t want to focus on the aftermath of her last field mission, especially on this day. It was the reason why she had become so cold towards everyone around her. She absolutely detested the way she had been acting around them, but she couldn’t help it.

Recovering from such an incident though was never going to be simple. She appreciated the support from her friends, but seeing the psychologist once a week made sure she was on the right track on defeating her mental illness. 

The psychologist had been made aware of her history, including that she was one of the survivors in the Racoon City Incident. After the first session, Sherry was diagnosed with clinical depression and something had to be done to help her. With special permission from the new National Security Advisor, the psychologist was allowed to give Sherry a break from work until the start of October. During her time off, the agent had been assigned with some relaxation activities to reduce the anxiety and stress on her body and mind, along with increasing time spent with friends. When she was back at work, she and her psychologist worked with others to produce balanced work schedule so she could recover at home.

Sherry had made a lot of progress since the first session, with her psychologist deeming her fit enough to go on a field mission again. The incident with Jake though made her doubt that she would be capable of going on a mission anytime soon.

“It’s hard for me to describe what I felt, and I don’t even want try. I just want to make a recovery from this. I haven’t been sent on any field missions and the psychologist said I’ve been making very good progress,” Sherry responded.

“That’s good to hear.”

“How about you? Has everything been fine on your end?”

“I’m still... recovering from losing my sister. Other than that, you, Leon and everyone else has been supporting me. You’re my new family now, and it’s wonderful to be a part of it.”

Sherry grinned, glad that Helena was coping well with everything. She had been seeing the same psychologist as Sherry too, pleasing Sherry that this psychologist was doing his job properly with each client.

The death of a family member caused a lot of grief, but when it’s the only family left, there was no one close Helena Harper could lean on. She was thankful that she had close friends such as Leon and Sherry to support her and sympathise with her.

She found herself relating to Sherry since they both lost their families. They alleviated each other whenever they were on the verge of having another traumatic episode or a breakdown, and kept in frequent contact with each other. However, the main reason that spurred Helena to comfort Sherry was because of what happened when the dust had settled from their last mission in China, six months ago.

Abruptly, Helena spotted Chris’ house from the corner of her eyes, turning quickly into the driveway. Sherry was startled, feeling her heart jump out of chest. Helena parked the car as soon as it was in a good position, pulling up the handbrake and turning the ignition off.

“Gee Helena, warn me next time you do that!” Sherry shouted.

“Sorry about that. I was going to miss the turn if I didn’t do that,” Helena apologised.

“Don’t worry too much. At least I’m not half-asleep anymore.”

“All right. Let’s get the presents out of the trunk and head inside. Today’s going to be a great day.”

Sherry couldn’t agree more. Today, she was spending Christmas with her closest friends and their friends. It would be the first Christmas she got to celebrate with the people she loved since she was eleven years old.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Merry Christmas Sherry!”

Before she could utter a word, Sherry had been wrapped by the arms of Claire Redfield. They hadn’t seen each other in a while because Claire had been on a mission for her company, TerraSave, and had to prepare the house for the Christmas party today. Claire was excited to see Sherry, being her mother figure and her close friend since the Racoon City Incident.

“Merry Christmas Claire.”

Claire let go of Sherry, immediately noticing the large bag in her left hand. She quickly assumed they held the presents Sherry and Helena had for them and the guests. However, she ignored the bag for the time being and greeted Helena.

Once the introductions were done, Sherry and Helena followed Claire into the house. Noticing that Claire had her shoes off, they quickly removed them and left them at the entrance. To catch up to Claire, they made a turn to the right to be walking into the lounge room. Instantaneously, the women saw the large Christmas tree in the corner of the room, with a few presents around it already. Most likely, they were from Chris and Claire.

Other than that, there were large windows letting in a whole lot of sunlight in and two couches surrounding the coffee table. It didn’t appear like a lot, but the space left in the room allowed a lot of people in the room, so Sherry assumed it was when they gathered together to open the presents.

“Do you mind if I put our presents around the tree?” Sherry asked.

“Go ahead. I’ll be showing Helena around the house,” Claire stated.

Sherry approached the Christmas tree and kneeled near the base, while Helena followed Claire to the next rooms. Just by looking at the presents, Sherry could tell Claire and Chris really went out of their way to buy gifts for everyone. She hoped that all the Christmas shopping didn’t affect their hip pocket too badly considering how expensive some items could be.

Helena walked behind Claire, seeing what was the T.V. room to her left. It had a large forty inch television on a long horizontal stand with drawers and sections underneath. There was a larger coffee table than the one in the lounge. 

To the right was the kitchen, which had all the essentials and a lot of bench space. There was also a man who was checking the oven. The man had to be the one and only Chris Redfield, wearing a santa hat to get into the Christmas spirit for the day.

Helena had only met Chris once, but the memory stood out. They were in China chasing after Derek Simmons, when they were diverted when they saw an Ada in a blue dress. But she had two other pursuers in Chris and the soldier under his command, which she didn’t get the name of. Leon had a deadly tussle with Chris, to protect Ada until they identified each other. However, this Ada used a flash grenade to escape, and they had to go their separate ways.

“Hey Chris, we have our first guests here,” Claire declared.

Chris shut the oven, turning his attention to his younger sister and the younger woman next to her.

“Oh hey, you were in China with Leon. I don’t think I caught your name,” Chris stated.

“Helena Harper,” Helena introduced herself.

“It’s good to meet you. I’m Chris Redfield, Claire’s brother.”

“I’m wondering, why do you have such a big house for only two people?” Helena enquired.

“After China... me and my fiancée, Jill, planned to settle down and have children. But... my comrade I wanted to promote to captain died, so I have to take his place for the time being.”

“That was the soldier who was with you, right?”

“Yes. His name was Piers Nivans. He was a valiant soldier, right up to the end.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

Claire suddenly felt uncomfortable hearing about her brother’s comrade’s death. It was around this time of year, fifteen years ago, that she was taken to prison on Rockfort Island, where a viral outbreak occurred. There, she partnered with a teenage prisoner named Steve Burnside, in an attempt to escape the island. However, they ended up in Antarctica, and in the hands of their captors.

Steve was infected with the T-Veronica virus but managed to regain control of his body to protect Claire from Alexia. Shortly after, he died. Claire felt emotional whenever she thought of Steve. He was only seventeen years old and was dragged into this mess by his father.

Since saving Sherry and working with Steve, Claire decided she wanted to rescue innocents involved in bioterrorist incidents. It was because of these two individuals that she was determined to try to save anybody that she could.

Hearing about her elder brother’s losses saddened her, as she wished she was there to save those poor soldiers from their deaths. But it was beyond her control, and she accepted there was nothing she could do but honour their memories by saving victims of those attacks.

“So why is Claire here?” Helena enquired.

Claire piped up cheerfully, “It’s a good place to crash while I look for a house to live in. Besides, my brother wouldn’t let his baby sister remain homeless.”

Chris smiled slightly, responding, “As long as you don’t disturb us. Anyway, we wouldn’t have this get-together if it weren’t for you.”

“Thanks Chris.”

After Claire’s thanks, Sherry entered the kitchen, holding a large empty bag in her hands. She finished placing the presents she and Helena brought under the tree, which took a little longer than expected. Then again, Sherry had eyed the gifts that were already under the tree, wondering which ones were hers and shaking them if she heard anything of value inside.

Sherry looked up at Chris, having not seen him since China when Jake confronted him about his father’s death. For some reason, Chris had looked a lot more peaceful from the last time she saw him briefly.

“Merry Christmas, Chris.”

“You too. And it’s good to see you again.”

After the introductions were finished, the group killed time by talking about their activities in the last six months. Chris had proposed to Jill two months ago, and expects to organise a date for their wedding soon after Christmas and New Years. He also mentioned that Jill was visiting her elderly parents and would return home soon.

Claire had been doing several missions for TerraSave, going to places around the world where bio organic weapons had affected civilian life. She had been to several countries in Europe and the Middle East where major hotspots occurred. Sherry wondered if Claire actually crossed paths with Jake at one point, but she’d rather not bring it up as it reminded her of her outburst.

Sherry and Helena had very little to say about their last six months. The Redfield siblings knew of the significant event and what actions the mentally ill women took to recover. It was also a topic they didn’t want to bring up on the day, as the four wanted to celebrate Christmas and enjoy the day.

However, Chris wanted to bring up something important before the other guests had arrived, and it would bring up those horrible memories to the poor ladies. He looked at Claire, hoping to convey what he felt to Claire silently. Claire could immediately read his mind, nodding slightly to go ahead with the talk.

“Ladies, I have something important to discuss. Follow me to the table,” Chris declared.

Helena and Sherry were stunned by the sudden announcement, but followed him around the kitchen. When they turned the corner, they saw a dining table that had been hidden from their sight. It was large enough to seat ten people easily. In the centre of the table, was a wreath with Christmas themed decorations.

Chris sat at the head of the table, with Sherry and Helena sitting to his right, next to each other. Sherry looked down, seeing a Christmas cracker placed above the area where the lunch would be eaten. She hoped she would sit next to Claire and enjoy a bit of friendly competition of obtaining the larger end of the cracker.

Nervous, Chris glanced at Claire, who was watching from the behind the kitchen bench. He then looked back at the women, took a deep breath and began to speak.

“As you are aware, what we all have in common is that we’ve been involved in outbreaks, both accidental and on purpose, and we survived. However, it wasn’t without the sacrifice of some of family, friends and comrades. Me, Jill and Claire had decided that we should remember a person, who was close to us, that died because of bioterrorism. We want to hold this before we have lunch, but I wanted to approach you two about it in particular. It’s only been six months since the Tall Oaks Incident and the Tatchi Bioterrorist Attack, and you two can decide to opt out of this if it’s too much,” Chris explained.

“What about you? Didn’t your comrade sacrifice himself to prevent Haos being released?” Sherry enquired.

“Yeah. But sadly, I’ve gotten... used to death. And I’ve already grieved his death. But I don’t know you two well enough, and I’m just saying that option is there for you two.”

Sherry assumed Chris knew what happened after China, after all no one close to her had died. He also must have assumed that incident had devastated Sherry’s mental health. Sherry had to admit he was right that the aftermath did make her psychologically unfit to head on missions for the Division of Security Operations, but incident did not involve the death of somebody close to her.

She didn’t feel like she had any right to have that sort of option, compared Chris and Helena. Yet, she was given it. However, she didn’t want to avoid it. It might give some finality to the incident, and she could move on.

“I don’t want to get out of it. I didn’t experience any death recently,” Sherry declared.

Chris was about to speak, but Helena interrupted him, “It’ll help me recover from my sister’s death, especially knowing others have lost somebody close to them.”

Sherry looked over at Claire, who just shut the oven. She was hoping the younger Redfield sibling was listening into their conversation while taking up Chris’ duties for the time being. Sherry’s attention however was quickly returned to the table as Chris was able to speak what was on his mind.

“That’s fine Helena. I’m just not sure about you Sherry. I consider it a fate worse than death,” Chris responded.

“Sherry’s grown up, Chris,” Claire suddenly proclaimed, “She’s made her choice for her own reasons. You told me you’ll accept their decision no matter what.”

Sherry was relieved Claire stepped in when she did. She didn’t want to explain why she wanted to go through with it, even though it could be stated in a few words. Sherry remembered that Claire once told her Chris was very stubborn, and would not give up easily. All the more reason why she was glad Claire was here.

Chris sighed, knowing there was no use arguing against his sister. As much as he wanted to know why Sherry wanted to see her choice through, he had to respect her decision.

Before Chris could get a word out, the doorbell echoed throughout the house. Another guest was coming, and Chris had to end the conversation with the girls abruptly. Claire told Chris that she’ll answer the door, and began to walk briskly towards the front door.

The older Redfield sibling leaned slightly, and declared, “I’m happy we told you this beforehand. I know it’s strange to talk about death at Christmas, but this is the only time we’re all together. I believe it’ll put in perspective that there have been other people that have suffered due to bioterrorism, even those who have fighting it face to face for fifteen years.”

It made sense for the ladies that it was the best opportunity to have a bunch of friends who had fought against a common enemy to share their grief, even during a festive time. Additionally, they knew it would help them recover from their grief.

However, death wasn’t the greatest topic to have on their minds at the moment. They had to live in the present, with their friends around them, as they were the closest thing to family. Time to remember their deceased loved ones would have to wait a little while longer.

Following Chris’ suit, Sherry stood up from her seat and decided to check who had arrived. She only had to turn the corner from the table, and spot the new arrival sauntering through the lounge room. She almost burst into laughter seeing him wearing a fake white cotton beard and a Santa hat to represent Santa Claus while lugging a sack over his shoulder.

The only person with that sort of humour was Leon S. Kennedy. She was glad that he had made his amusing entrance. His presence, along with Claire, both who had saved her during the Racoon City Incident, would keep her mind off the darkness of death.

It would only be a matter of time before the other guests arrived. The previous conversation with Chris lingered on her mind, and now that Leon had appeared, Sherry was reminded of her life before freedom.


	4. New Beginning

**Monday 26th October 1998**  
  
Derek Simmons was relieved that most of the press was off his back. It was of no surprise that the Racoon City Incident would've caused a media circus to revolve around it, but the constant attention of the media towards him almost exhausted him.  
  
He only had been promoted to National Security Advisor at the start of the year, which had caused a lot of controversy in politics. He was incredibly young to be in such an influential position, being only thirty years old when he got the job. He was now thirty one, and had a lot of issues regarding national security thanks to what happened in Racoon City.  
  
The media and the public expect him to put the safety of America above everything else. And that was a lot of pressure mounted on his shoulders.  
  
Suddenly, a man in a suit barged into his office. He was a simple messenger, employed to serve Derek Simmons. Derek was annoyed at the man's presence, as he clearly had no manners or etiquette.  
  
"Mr. Simmons, I have an urgent report regarding Sherry Birkin."  
  
Derek fiddled with his golden ring on his thumb and grumbled, "Spit it out."  
  
"The psychiatrist came in today and tested Sherry's mental health. She didn't turn up positive results."  
  
Derek sighed. It seems like his troubles would never end. Not only was he the National Security Advisor, but he was also Sherry Birkin's legal guardian. As her foster father, he was responsible for her health, safety and security, a burden he didn't need.  
  
"Did he state what I could do about it?"  
  
"Yes he did. He said that you should put her in a foster home, where she could socialise with other children around her age. Otherwise if you don't, her growth and development would be adversely affected by her isolation in the facility."  
  
"Thank you for informing me. If the psychiatrist is still there, give him my thanks."  
  
The messenger saluted Derek, replying, "Yes sir."  
  
The messenger spun around and left Derek's office, closing the door behind him. Derek smirked; amused that messenger at least had the courtesy to shut the door behind him.  
  
However, he better had heeded the psychiatrist's advice. If word got out that he didn't take care of a child under his protection, it would ruin the good reputation he built up as National Security Advisor, even though Sherry Birkin wasn't meant to exist in the public eye.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
It had almost been a week since I had been told by a scientist that I was moving into a home. I had been excited since I heard the news. Finally, I don't have to have to be forced to wake up when a scientist wants to take my blood or urine sample or whatever test they wanted to conduct on my body. I was sick of being some sort of guinea pig for them.  
  
I was aware that the experiments being performed on me was because I still had the G-Virus in my body. I was the only person who didn't die instantly due to the G-Virus' effects, but that was thanks to Leon and Claire who cured me with a vaccine, under my mother's instructions.  
  
Being in the facility gave me a lot of time to think about my parents. From what Claire described to me, I was glad my mother thought of me during her last moments. I felt that my life was valued by her and that she wanted to protect me no matter what happened to her. Even though, she ended up being killed by my father.  
  
The scientists that knew of my father spoke of him negatively. They were angry that he wanted to keep his research to himself and he only thought of himself and not of Umbrella. They solely blamed him on the disaster, despite mounting evidence that Umbrella was at fault for what happened in Racoon City.  
  
I didn't speak up against those scientists though. I was afraid. Afraid that they would hurt me as they forced their needles into my veins. It was because some of them had said that I would turn out like what they had perceived my father to be. Selfish, greedy and presumptuous.  
  
My father was nothing like that. Even though he worked long hours, he came home to kiss me goodnight. On special occasions, like birthdays and Christmas, he would take time off work to spend more time with me. He taught me all interesting things about science and technology. Although I now question what were his intentions with working on the G-Virus, he was still a wonderful father and no one would be able to take his place.  
  
While I was thinking about my parents, two men came into the room. One was dressed in the usual men in black outfit; he was working for the government. The man next to him was dressed a bit differently. He wore a black vest underneath a similarly coloured suit jacket over a white buttoned business shirt, with black business slacks and polished black leather shoes. I was drawn to a piece of black thread looped under his shirt collar, which was held together by a disc with Chinese symbols on it. I've never seen a man wear that type of 'tie' before, but it did make him look like an extremely rich person.  
  
His short but carefully combed back hair was brown with a few tiny stray hairs drooping over his forehead. I think he didn't mind that his almost perfectly groomed hair was a tiny bit messy. He had a moustache that appeared trimmed and had a lot of stubble on his chin.  
  
When he approached me, I noticed a ring on his left thumb. It was a strange place to wear a ring and it looked uncomfortable. But as long as the man didn't mind it, it should be fine.  
  
"Hello Sherry. I'm Derek Simmons. We haven't met before, but I'm supposed to be your foster father. I apologise for not making it here earlier, I've been very busy lately," Derek introduced.  
  
There was something about his voice that made me feel queasy about him. Almost as if he had feigned affection towards me. My anxieties grew worse in his presence. Unless he proved to me he was someone I could trust, I was always going to be afraid of him.  
  
I meekly introduced myself to Derek. My nerves were showing. The man in black behind Derek shuffled awkwardly on the spot. It would be strange for the man in black to escort a rich man, only to come to a place where he would find a harmless kid. I thought having his presence there was not needed, but then again, they always have to take precautions.  
  
"This was the earliest day I can take off, but it's not much of an excuse. So, I'm going to take you to a special place today. I'll even let you sit down in the front seat of my car. How does that sound?" Derek enquired.  
  
I really liked the sound of that, but I simply smiled in response. Derek accepted it, and immediately signalled to the man in black to carry my bag with some spare clothes the facility had bought for me.  
  
When I escaped Racoon City, I only had the clothes on my back. I had nothing of value even on me, except for Claire's jacket, which was passed down to me to comfort me and to protect me. After we managed to survive, Claire said I could keep the jacket, so that she could feel close by whenever I felt lonely. It was the only thing that had given me comfort over the past month.  
  
Derek reached out to me, his open palm of his hand inviting me to hold it. I couldn't refuse his affection, and grabbed his hand. He led the way, with the man in black following behind us. It was the first time since I left Claire that I felt safe, but I had no idea that this sense of security would not last that long.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The drive to our destination was mostly uneventful. Derek asked me a few questions, but he took a while to ask each one of them. He was being careful of what he asked of me, which I could understand, but a part of me wanted to recover from what happened, to face the fact that my parents were dead and weren't coming back.  
  
There was some tension too, with Derek asking the man in black, who sat in the back seat, to keep an eye on his surroundings while he was driving. Derek must be a really important man, but he didn't tell me what his job was. Although, I was afraid to ask what was his job.  
  
When we arrived at the place, my jaw dropped. As the car turned into the driveway with the huge gates and from what I could see the yard stretching for what seemed like a mile before the entrance to the house. Derek had to wind down his window and talk to a speaker thing so the gates would open.  
  
Once the gates were open wide enough, Derek drove slowly between them and on the road towards the mansion. I looked out the window, gazing at the beautiful garden that his gardeners were tending to. It had many kinds of flowers, all organised in their rows. I bet it would look amazing if I could see it from the air.  
  
We soon approached the huge mansion. I felt so tiny compared to the size of the mansion. The mansion had two floors, judging by position of the windows, but it was so wide. It probably had a lot of rooms, but what for?  
  
Derek put his foot gently on the brakes, slowly stopping the car at the entrance of the mansion. An old man in a tuxedo walked up to the car on Derek's side. Was he a butler, or the caretaker while Derek was absent from his mansion?  
  
The man opened the door, standing behind it to allow Derek enough space to step out of the car. Derek signalled me to stay in my seat. I guess it's some sort of manners to wait until the tuxedo man opened the car door? I also wondered if he had noticed me on the passenger side.  
  
"Welcome home Master Derek. It appears you have a child with you. Is this the girl you've been asked to watch over?" the man in the tuxedo enquired.  
  
"Yes. She's quiet, but there's a good reason why she would give you the silent treatment. Please treat her with the utmost respect, she's been through a lot in the past two months," Derek implored.  
  
"I understand Master Derek. Let me attend to her."  
  
The butler walked quickly around the front of the car, arriving promptly at my door. I unbuckled my seat belt just before he opened the door. I had a good look at his face, before stepping out of the car. He was at least in his late fifties, early sixties with his grey hair slicked back. He had a few wrinkles, but none that suggested that he was older than sixty five.  
  
As I stepped out of the car, the butler stated, "Welcome Miss Sherry. It is a delight to meet you. Master Derek has told me about you."  
  
I remained quiet, but I smiled at him to let him know I appreciate the greeting. He returned my smile while shutting the car door; it was good he didn't mind my silent response.  
  
I walked around the front of the car, seeing Derek waiting for me on the perfectly clean and even white concrete stairs of the entrance to his mansion. With all the people working here, I would be surprised if the place wasn't kept up to scratch. I grabbed Derek's hand, which somehow comforted me despite of the overwhelming size of this huge mansion.  
  
The butler quickened his pace to overtake us and open the front doors. I began to think it was too much, but the butler managed to pull the front doors back, revealing a huge entrance hall. I let go of Derek's hand and ran inside, just curious to see the rest of the interior.  
  
There was so much to take in. The carpet was soft and pillowy. The wallpaper were dark red with a complicated pattern on them. There was a large staircase at the back that head directly towards the second floor, which I could see. This all felt surreal, that living in the lap of luxury was a dream. Yet, I was standing in this mansion that belonged to my new Dad.  
  
I felt Derek's hand on my shoulder, making me jump slightly at his touch. I looked up at him as he gently pulled me closer to his body. It was reassuring that he was by my side, helping me cope with my new surroundings, but it wasn't the same. Derek knows my parents had died, but he could never replace them both. He didn't have the gentleness of my father and the love of my mother.  
  
"Don't worry Sherry. Once I show you around the place, it'll feel just like home," Derek muttered softly.  
  
I wished I could believe him. I wanted this place to feel like home. I wanted to live a normal life again. But he couldn't bring back Racoon City. He couldn't resurrect my parents. Nothing would ever be the same, no matter how hard my new father tried.  
  
Derek loosened his grip on my shoulder, reaching for my hand. I placed my small delicate hand in his large hand and let him lead the way. I felt reassured knowing my new Dad was right by my side, introducing me to all the rooms in his mansion.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The tour of the mansion took less time than I anticipated. It was because Derek almost skipped the rooms that he considered were the least important to me. The only rooms he showed every detail of was the entrance hall, kitchen, dining room, my room, the rec room, the locations of multiple bathrooms and some sections of the garden surrounding his home.  
  
The butler, Thomas, was with us the entire time, told me the history of this mansion while we were going in between rooms. I only caught on a few important parts of it though, because there was so much to take in. It was first built around the American Revolution by one of Derek's ancestors. The reason why the house had survived since then was because of renewing and replacing of old materials that the house was built from and constant care from the owners and the staff that had resided here. Derek had acquired the mansion three years ago when his father passed away because he was the oldest child.  
  
We returned to the entrance hall through the kitchen. I wasn't overwhelmed by the sight of it like before, but it was still daunting. I walked to the centre of the room, staring at the large, framed paintings on the walls. They looked like very rich men, like Derek. They were probably his ancestors that Thomas told me about.  
  
But as I thought the tour was over, Thomas informed me that there was another two rooms of the mansion I had to be shown. Unfortunately, he couldn't tag along with me and Derek, as Derek just wanted to show me privately.  
  
We headed upstairs on the grand staircase, its massive size not fazing me anymore. I followed Derek to the left, staring at the dark mahogany door that we were approaching. I could anticipate that we were going to enter that room.  
  
My assumption was proven correct almost right away, with Derek opening the door for me. I was met with darkness. The only light in the room was a very dimly lit lamp to my right. I couldn't see any walls, only bookcases full of books that rise to the ceiling. There was a gap between the bookcases though, to fit a fireplace, which was the centre of the room. There was a coffee table and two large comfortable seats in front of the fireplace, probably a couple of feet away from the fireplace.  
  
The atmosphere was homey and warm though, and I felt more at home here compared to the rest of the mansion. It reminded me of my house in Racoon City, during the last Christmas season before the destruction happened. I used to burn the old wood left in our garden in the fireplace at home, and sit in front of it until my parents came home.  
  
I stepped into the room, letting its darkness consume me. Derek shut the door behind me, blocking the only bright light entering the room.  
  
"Let's have a seat Sherry," Derek declared, motioning towards the chairs before the fireplace.  
  
I picked my chair, and sat down. My body felt like it was sinking into the cushiony softness, but it was just the feel of the leather hugging my skin. Derek sat on the seat opposite of me, flashing a grin at me before he changed his expression.  
  
He quickly glanced at the fireplace before declaring, "This is my private living room. No one else is allowed in this room except you and me."  
  
"Why me?" I asked.  
  
"You're a part of my family. So you have every right to be here. If your bedroom doesn't give you peace, you can always come here," Derek answered, while twirling the ring on his thumb.  
  
That ring had bothered me since I first noticed it. I wondered what the significance of wearing that ring was and what it had engraved on its face. But I found myself unable to speak my mind.  
  
"I know it sounds hard to believe, but this area of the mansion is extremely quiet. Almost tranquil. The only sounds you would hear would be the fire crackling during the winter months and any noise I make in the next room."  
  
"What's in the next room?" I enquired eagerly.  
  
"You already want to move on? Well, there's only one room left to show. Follow me."  
  
Me and Derek stood up, and I took the few steps behind him to the next room. With a twist of the knob, Derek opened the door to reveal a much brighter room. It was a major contrast to the room we were exiting.  
  
There was a large window covering almost the entire back wall, letting in so much light. There was a large wooden desk in the centre of the room, with a computer, a printer and probably other important documents Derek had been reading currently. There were two large filing cabinets behind the desk, each on different sides of the room. There was also a bookcase to the left of the desk.  
  
Other things that stuck out was the American flag hanging on the wall and a portrait of another man that bore a striking resemblance to Derek. Perhaps it was his father.  
  
I approached the window, noticing it had views of the mansion grounds. It was a beautiful view, as I could see the hedges and the flowerbeds arranged in such an organised fashion that brought fantastic colours into the picture.  
  
Derek placed his hand on my shoulder, breaking my thoughts on the view. I thought I should get used to the hand on the shoulder from him. My father never did that. I could understand why he wouldn't do it too. It freaked me out.  
  
"Enjoying the view Sherry?"  
  
I acknowledged Derek, but was averting eye contact with him.  
  
"Every day I look out this window and experience this view. It never gets old. It changes with each experience. This has been the first time I shared this view with someone in four years."  
  
I didn't respond. I kept on looking out, spotting a gardener heading for the flowers with his equipment. It gave me an excuse not to continue this one-sided conversation.  
  
Abruptly, Derek lowered himself down on one knee. I looked to see that he was around my height, with a serious look on his face that told me I had better pay attention to him.  
  
"Sherry, it is very important to hear what I have to say about this room. I won't be repeating myself. Is that clear?"  
  
I nodded right away. His tone was beginning to scare me. Was it because I didn't say anything back when he was musing about the view?  
  
"This is my study. I work for very important people in this country. This means you are not allowed in this room without my permission. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
I was going to add something along the lines of 'My father had a study and he had the same rules too,' but I didn't feel like bringing him up. Or anything from Racoon City. I found peace looking outside at the garden, and it was the only thing I wanted to focus on.  
  
"Good. This is the only room in my home you can't access freely, but I think you'll enjoy your time here otherwise. Anyway, there's one more thing that needs to be said. Please stay behind me."  
  
I almost grumbled to be pulled away from the view. I spun around, and took a single step. I noticed something strange that stopped me. There was a dark box that was stuck underneath Derek's desk, in the space that would fit his legs. Why was it there? And what was inside it?  
  
It only took a moment for Derek to notice I wasn't right on his heels. He turned around quickly, with his expression telling me he wanted an explanation right away.  
  
"Why did you stick something big underneath your desk?"  
  
Derek approached me, as the colour drained from his face. He crouched down to my height, to see that I could easily spot it. He looked down, biting his lip before answering me.  
  
"I cannot let it fall into the hands of evil people. Sherry, promise me to not tell anybody else about this. America would be in grave danger if people outside the government knew about it."  
  
"I promise," I responded, but I wasn't sure if I could take him at face value for it.  
  
I felt like if I knew what was in there, I wouldn't be interested in it anymore. But I wanted to tear the box from underneath and open it up like it was a present. I was going to be left wondering of what could be inside that box that would place the entire country in danger.  
  
"Come on; let's head back into the living room."  
  
Derek let me take the lead instead. I felt more suspicious that he wanted me to leave first, and have no chance of investigating it. Perhaps I would find out what's in the box one day when I'm older.  
  
Once we were both in the living room, Derek shut the door behind him. I wished he didn't have to shut the door, the room looked so much better with light coming into it.  
  
Derek showed me the leather seat I previously sat down on before, wanting me to sit down with him. But I simply refused. There were so many things going on in my mind that I wanted to be alone, without Derek's compony. I didn't want to know what else he wanted to tell me.  
  
"Sherry, you can stand, but this is also very important. So pay attention."  
  
I made eye contact with Derek, letting him know I was prepared to listen to him. There was a lot to process already and I just wanted it to be over for the day.  
  
"Most of the time, you're not going to be living here."  
  
My heart sank. I began to wonder why Derek had brought me here in the first place if I wasn't going to stay here. For the first time today, anger replaced my fear to demand answers from him.  
  
"Where am I going to stay?"  
  
"Patience Sherry. I was just about to say where. You're going to live in a foster home, not far from here, for three weeks of every month. This is so you can interact and socialise with children your age."  
  
Now that I thought of it, there was no one here my age. Who was I going to talk to while I was here? Thomas the butler felt like the only person I could talk to comfortably, but his age would prevent him from working here for a long time.  
  
"You will not be without education. You'll be homeschooled, both here and in the foster home during normal school hours."  
  
"Why can't I go to a normal school?"  
  
"You haven't been in school for a while, and homeschooling was the only alternative. See it as a way to gauge your knowledge."  
  
I accepted his reasoning. I was comfortable with that thought. Although, if he really wanted me to talk to other kids, I should've just been sent to school.  
  
There was one last question that just came up. It was the one lingering at the back of my mind, waiting for the right time to for me to articulate it.  
  
"Am I still going to be experimented on?"  
  
Derek raised an eyebrow briefly. He seemed to be surprised that I asked that question. He began searching for the answer to that question, or rather, the words to answer the question. And I think I wasn't going to like the answer.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. There wasn't much I could do to convince the government. I'm sorry Sherry."  
  
I sighed. At least he was honest about it. At least I knew Derek cared about me.  
  
"Thanks. I'll be... heading into my room."  
  
"We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, before lunch, to the foster home."  
  
I noted the message, and walked out the dark room. So much had happened today, and a lot was going to happen tomorrow. The fact I was going to be around kids the same age was great. I was looking forward to that.  
  
But the experimentation lingered on the back of my mind. How much time was I going to spend between schooling, going back here and experimentation was going to cut out of spending time with those kids?  
  
I was going to find out tomorrow.


	5. Safety

**Tuesday 3 rd November 1998**

Everything felt new to me. My new clothes, a light blue long sleeve shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers were foreign to me. The area outside the car window I wasn’t familiar with. And the car I was in was luxurious and modern, compared to my parents’ car. The only thing that was familiar was the red jacket Claire gave me.

It was the only comfort I had, as Derek was driving me to the foster home. I was nervous. I didn’t know exactly who I was going to meet, or how these foster homes worked. I assumed there were plenty of children, and that I had to share a room.

Before I could reflect on what the house could look like, we came to a stop. I heard Derek pull up the handbrake and stop the engine. It appeared that we had arrived at our destination. The house looked like every other house in the street, except it had a larger car pool than the other houses.

It was a one storey house, with a small front garden that just had grass and a few flowers. There was a small set of stairs leading to the entrance of the house.

“We’re here Sherry. I’ll open the trunk and we’ll grab your bags,” Derek declared.

We both got out of the car, and I quickly rushed to the back to open the trunk. Derek and his staff at the mansion had bought me a lot of new clothes and other necessities. I was surprised that most of the clothes fit me, and I was able to take them. I grabbed the lighter bags and left the heavier ones to Derek. Once we had all my bags, we headed to the front door.

I stopped before the front door, looking at Derek, who was still lagging behind me. Derek noticed that I was staring at him, and smiled.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Knock on the door.”

I carefully placed my bags down and knocked on the door. Derek was able to catch up while we were waiting for whoever was inside to open the door. Derek signalled with a simple gesture and a flick of his head to pick up my bags before they answered the door.

The door suddenly opened, revealing a tall man who looked like he was in his late twenties. He had short blonde hair and blue eyes. He had an easily noticeable five o’clock shadow, and had bags under his eyes. He wore a pale, stained orange long sleeve shirt and washed up blue jeans that lost almost all its colour. But despite his groggy appearance, he managed to smile at me.

“Hi, you must be Sherry,” He stated, then he turned his attention to Derek, “And you’re Derek Simmons, one of the higher ups in the government. I never thought I would meet someone like you in person.”

I was surprised. It didn’t come across my mind that Derek would be working for the government, but it does explain how he was rich and why he had so much work to do.

“Well, consider yourself lucky. I’m putting a lot of faith in you and the rest of the staff to look after Sherry,” Derek retorted.

“Let’s talk about this inside. My co-worker would like to meet with you,” the man hissed.

I felt extremely uncomfortable. I could sense the tension between the two towering men. Derek seemed unnaturally calm, while the blonde haired man was almost about to blow. I followed the man to hopefully avoid causing any confrontation.

The interior of the house was much more modest than Derek’s mansion. The open hallway leads into the living room had a couch that appeared warm and homey compared to the cold looking leather seats. There was a small TV on top of a small cabinet with an open slot for the VCR with space underneath the slot that had shelved the videos. There was also a bookshelf against the wall with a variety of books, from novels to children’s books.

From the room, I could also see into the kitchen, which was a rather large room from what I could see. They were even able to fit a large dining table near the bench that was able to sit at least ten people. The most interesting thing though was not the room itself, but there was a woman sitting at the bench with her back facing to us.

From what I could tell, the woman had long, dark, curly hair and wore this grey cardigan over a dark slimming dress. She seemed to be an older woman by the way she dressed.

“Hey Cindy!” the man called to her.

She turned in her seat, revealing her face. She was definitely an older woman. She had wrinkles outlining her cheekbones and her neck was puffy.

“Aw, the new child is here. She looks really cute,” the woman cooed.

“She is, and her supposed _guardian_ is here too,” the man fumed.

“Now, now, we don’t want to be scaring Sherry,” Derek warned, looking directly at that man.

Before the man could react, Cindy responded calmly, “Harrison, maybe you should help Sherry unpack while I discuss some things with Mr. Simmons.”

“Fine,” Harrison responded grudgingly.

I watched Derek wordlessly hand my heavy bags to Harrison. Harrison spun around and walked quickly passed me. I followed Harrison, assuming that he would lead me to my room. We entered a hallway with a lot of rooms on both sides. I turned my head, noticing that the hallway stretched to the entrance of the house.

Soon enough, at the end of the hallway, Harrison opened the last door to the left. We entered the room, and I was surprised how small it was. It had a wardrobe with drawers at the bottom and a desk at the back of the room and a single bed on each side. That was the entire room.

Harrison placed my bags on the bed to the left. It was probably my bed, so I put my bags near my heavier ones and began unpacking them.  I grabbed my folded up clothing and put them in neat piles next to my bag.

“This is your room Sherry. You’ll be sharing it with Alistair. He’s a quiet boy, and I guarantee he won’t make any advances on you,” Harrison stated.

That was a relief to hear that he was quiet and he wouldn’t be attracted to me. It did make me wonder how old the boy was though. I had a good feeling he was younger than me.

“How old is he? He doesn’t sound like a teenager,” I responded.

“Actually, he’s fourteen.”

I stared at Harrison, mouthing ‘what’ at him. That’s completely the opposite from what I heard from the kids back at Racoon Elementary that had older brothers.

“Yeah, I know it’s hard to believe. He’s too interested in things other than girls. When I was his age, I wanted to fuck everything that had a vagina.”

I shot a glare at man, in disbelief that he just said that right in front of me. I looked back at my bag, bit my lip and composed myself. It was just words, and I’m almost a teenager myself. I would probably hear more about sex than what my parents told me about it.

“Isn’t that a little bit broad to say that?”

“I guess. But you had a similar generalisation about guys? That they wanted to have sex with every girl that’s old enough they meet.”

“Can we talk about a different topic other than sex?”

“Fine. I keep on forgetting not every kid is comfortable talking about it. Although, the kids that stay here, with the exception of Alistair, are troublemakers and some of them do illegal things when we can’t keep an eye on them.”

I certainly felt unsettled about this place now. What on Earth did I get myself into? Actually, _why_ did Derek _send me here_? What did I do to deserve being in a place full of lowlifes?

I wish I could turn back time, before the Racoon City Incident. My parents would still be alive; I would be going to school and talking with my friends and classmates. But I had to accept this reality, because turning back the clock a few months was impossible.

“Sorry, but that’s the truth Sherry. But Alistair is a good kid, just don’t provoke him into a fight and you’ll get along with him fine,” Harrison reassured.

I made a crooked smile at Harrison and continued unpacking and organising my clothing. Once all my clothes were out on the bed, we put them in their appropriate places in the wardrobe. The smallest bag, I put under my bed, as Harrison recommended that I keep toothbrushes, toothpaste and anything that was personal in a hidden place so the other kids can’t use them.

I was surprised how quickly this was all done. I wasn’t expecting to have all my clothes already in the right places in the wardrobe, but Harrison did help me with a lot of it. He must be used to it for new kids here, or that he’s got much more experience than I do, or both.

“Let’s head back and see what Cindy and your guardian are talking about,” Harrison declared.

I followed him out of my bedroom, through the hallway and back into the kitchen, where it appeared that Derek and Cindy were pleasantly speaking to each other. It was clear that the tension in the room I felt before had subsided. I should thank Cindy for telling Harrison to help me unpack.

“Ah Sherry. How was your room?” Derek asked.

“It was good, and Harrison told me that my roommate is quiet and sensible,” I marvelled.

Derek went down on one knee, and placed his hand on my head, ruffling my hair a little bit.

“That’s wonderful to hear. I just explained the arrangements to Cindy here, and she understands them and will let the other staff know, so you don’t need to worry about a thing.

I wish I couldn’t worry about a thing. There were the children I was going to meet later today. From what Harrison told me, those other kids were in a lot of trouble. I wasn’t sure why, but there had to be reasons for their behaviour.

Derek stood up and looked at the staff behind me with a serious expression. I really hoped he wouldn’t cause an argument by provoking Harrison again. I tugged one of the sides of the red jacket closer to me, letting out my anxieties.

“I have to leave now. I have many pressing matters to address. I leave Sherry in your capable hands,” Derek announced, then he stared at me, “Sherry, I’ll be back in three weeks from now. Be a good girl until then.”

I acknowledged Derek. Satisfied, he brushed his suit and began his departure. I waved, hoping Derek would turn back and notice me. But he never looked back.

I was shattered. I felt like I was left here, all alone, to deal with the new environment I was in by myself. I had to endure this, because I didn’t have a choice.

“Well, that guy is a douche,” Harrison stated.

“Harrison! Mind your language around the girl. We’re not allowed to swear at the children!” Cindy scolded Harrison.

Then, Cindy handed one of the monthly timetables she drew up while talking to Derek, and I was told to retreat to my room while she and Harrison talked about the timetable themselves, with a spare copy she had.

I was annoyed, but perhaps they were talking about how they would tell the staff about me. Plus none of the kids were home because they were all at school, so it was probably the best thing I could do.

I sat on my bed, examining the monthly timetable carefully. From what I could gather, Tuesdays were my least busiest day, with only homeschooling scheduled. My education was spread over the weekdays, even while I was staying at Derek’s mansion. But what was distressing was that I had to go to the experimental facility six times a week. That was more than my education, and it involved me travelling there on weekends.

I felt so infuriated that I only get a break from this experimentation for one day. It was like Derek arranged it so that it was much more important priority than my education.

But there was nothing else I could do. I reached under my bed, and grabbed a blank scrapbook. I found a pen on Alistair’s side of the room, and began writing my thoughts and feelings about everything while I wait for the kids to come home from school.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sherry! Everyone’s home!”

I shot up hearing Harrison’s voice. Even though I was anxious, I’m pretty sure the other kids wanted to meet me too. But I was looking forward to meeting Alistair, who was going to be my roommate for however long he’s staying here.

I put my feet on the ground and quickly jogged out of the bedroom and down the hallway into the kitchen. I stopped once I spotted seven pairs of new eyes, staring directly at me. I was intimidated by all of them. The four girls and the three guys, all of varying ages, were sizing me up, watching if I had any sign of weakness, even in my stride.

I was tempted to grab my jacket again to feel closer to Claire. It would’ve calmed down the butterflies in my stomach. But those kids would easily see that as weakness. I should focus on something else, like what was on the dining table. It had a large platter with sandwiches cut in quarters with different fillings. I could tell it was a way to welcome me to the house.

I stood next to Harrison, which calmed me down in front of the kids. I pondered about the three guys, thinking about what Alistair looked like. There was a really tall guy who was almost the same height as Harrison and was a bit muscular. He had messy dark hair and blue piercing eyes. The second boy was taller than me but appeared athletic and had a clear face. His combed fringe was red and he had brown eyes. The final one was kind of short, but he was just taller than me and wore circular glasses. He had shoulder length brown hair, with a thin fringe that was a downwards spike and hazel eyes.

Before I could take a guess at identifying Alistair, Harrison announced, “All right kids, we have a new addition in this home. She’s been through a lot recently, so let’s treat her nicely and make her feel welcome. Her name is Sherry Simmons.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was not Sherry Simmons, I was Sherry Birkin. Derek must have changed my name. Maybe it was for my own safety, or he really wanted me to take up his last name and left me with no choice. Either way, I had to grin and bear it, because now they all know me by that name.

“Be good while I grab something from the office kids,” Harrison stated, and quickly darted down the hallway.

I wasn’t afraid when an adult left me alone, but in this case I was very scared. It didn’t help that Harrison let me know that these most of kids had been involved in illegal activities. Who knows what could happen when he leaves me with them alone for just a moment?

“Let’s have Sherry have the first pick,” the boy with glasses stated.

I reached for the sandwiches, picking one with chicken and avocado spread. I was relieved that one of them would attempt to make me feel comfortable here.

However, the tallest boy sauntered up to the table and swiped the sandwich I wanted. I stepped back, stunned that he would do such a thing. Absentmindedly, I grabbed the collar of the jacket.

“Harrison didn’t say anything. We can do whatever we want, kid,” the tallest boy declared. 

“It doesn’t give you the right to steal what she wanted,” the boy with glasses argued.

“Are you kissing her ass now just because she’s new? She’s the same as us and she should at least know who’s in charge here.”

“We should at least introduce ourselves and make her feel comfortable before jumping to that. And I don’t listen to some idiot who thinks he’s the one giving the orders around here.”

The taller boy stomped towards the boy with glasses, towering over him. If a fight erupted right at that moment, the boy with glasses would be beaten to a pulp. I wanted to call Harrison, but I knew he could be back at any moment to break this apart.

“You seriously have a boner for her. You should keep that dick under control, because I’ve heard you pumping that knob when you get horny,” the taller boy mocked.

“Every time we bump heads, you always tend to talk about my dick, like you’re obsessed with it. But you’re right. I do have a boner and I need relief. So get down on your knees and suck it! It’ll be a win-win situation because you love my dick so much!” the boy with glasses exclaimed.

With incredible timing, Harrison and Cindy walked into the room. I let go of the jacket and glanced at the girls and the other boy, who had their mouths agape and were clearly in shock. I felt the same, and I was worried what was going to happen next.

“Boys, that’s no way to act in front of the new girl,” Cindy declared, placing his hands on his hips, “You should both be ashamed of yourselves. Go into your rooms, and don’t think about escaping until we deem such a time.”

The boys involved slumped and began the walk of shame down the hallway. As the boys walked past the two adults, Harrison turned to face them and put his hand on the boy with glasses’ shoulder.

“Tyson, stop acting like you’re responsible for this place. You don’t know how to look after everyone,” Harrison scolded.

Then, he went down on one knee and talked very quietly to the boy with glasses. I couldn’t catch the conversation between the two, as Cindy told us to sit at the table and have everyone present introduce themselves to me while we waited for Harrison.

But I really didn’t focus once everyone revealed their names. The boy who wasn’t involved in the bickering wasn’t Alistair, which meant that guy with the glasses was Alistair. I wished he was here so that he could properly introduce himself to me.

Eventually, Harrison came over and sat next to me. He looked over at Cindy and mouthed something to her. She nodded, giving him the go ahead to do whatever he planned.

“Sherry,” Harrison called, grabbing my attention, “Is it true that Alistair was defending you when Tyson stole your quarter sandwich?”

“Alistair is the guy in the glasses? Yes, he did,” I answered.

“That’s good to hear. It’s like I said, he only attacks when he’s provoked,” Harrison responded, grabbing a sandwich from the tray.

“So, is this how you would punish us if we act out of line?” I asked.

“It depends on the situation. Sometimes we take away pocket money for an appropriate amount of time, or we don’t allow them to have treats.”

“You have to find the _perfect sentence for the crime_. That makes sense; otherwise the punishment wouldn’t be effective.”

“Wow, most kids wouldn’t get that right away. You must be really intelligent for your age.”

“Well, both my parents excelled in education, so it’s pretty likely I’ve inherited their smarts.”

Harrison bit his lip, and remarked, “I heard that your parents died recently. They would be proud to hear how smart you are.”

I felt a tingle run up my spine from the mention of my parents. It sounded like Harrison would’ve been told how I ended up here, and it appeared he didn’t know their names. I wondered what he would thought if he knew the truth, that my parents were William and Annette Birkin, who worked for Umbrella. According to some mainstream media sources, the disaster was caused by my father inventing the G-Virus. Would he look at me with scorn, or would treat me like he does now?

It was a secret I couldn’t dare to talk about. If somebody found out, they would tell somebody else, and then it would spread among everyone around me. These kids would bully me mercilessly if they knew, even with these adults around.

Maybe _Sherry Simmons_ wasn’t such a bad name after all, because it made me feel safe.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the rest of the afternoon and night, I had gotten to know the residents in the foster home. The girls seemed really nice, although, they surely must get up to mischief at one point. I kept my distance from Tyson as much as I could once he was allowed out of his room. He had an intimidating presence in the room, and his encounter with me and Alistair earlier today also made him daunting to speak to.

The guy with the red hair was much better to speak to though, even though I could tell he was flirting with me on a few occasions. I was surprised to find out he was the same age as me too.

However, Alistair was quiet, compared to before. The only thing he did was introduce himself and told me that Harrison let him know I was his roommate. I tried to make conversation with him, but he didn’t say much or completely ignored me. I wasn’t entirely sure what I could do with him, so I ended up talking with the others, and trying my best to include him too.

At nine thirty, we were asked to get ready for bed. The other kids really wanted to stay up late, but I was relieved that I could head to bed after such an emotional day. I got into my PJs, brushed my teeth and hopped into bed.

But I couldn’t sleep right away. The room was different to the room I was used to than the facility and at home. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to fall asleep. Sure, it felt more homey than the facility, but it reminded me of my house in Racoon City before the outbreak happened.

I wondered what would’ve happened if the Racoon City Incident didn’t happen. Today would’ve just been another normal day. I would walk to school, then return home at the end of the day. Maybe my parents would be home, but otherwise I would entertain myself while I wait for them. I would read a book, do some homework, watch was on TV. Whatever I felt like.

Suddenly, Alistair entered the room. I turned my head to see him in a white tank top and blue boxer shorts. He looked surprised to see that I was already in bed.

“Do you usually go to bed this early?” Alistair managed to ask.

“No. Today’s just been exhausting, meeting all of you,” I answered.

Alistair sat on his bed and responded, “I was just wondering. None of us actually sleep this early, even though we get told by the staff.”

“I’m not surprised. Harrison told me that you guys get up to mischief, but you don’t.”

“Yeah, especially Amber and Jennifer at night. They sneak out have sex with some creepy men that treat them as sex slaves.”

“T-That’s impossible,” I stammered out in disbelief, “They seem like really nice people. Why would they do that to themselves?”

“I wish I knew, so I could assist the staff in helping them all.”

“What else do these kids do?”

“Steal anything of value, experiment with alcohol and illegal drugs, disturb the peace, get involved in fights... all sorts of shit.”

“What... happened to them?”

“It’s the environment they were raised in. Their parents were either criminals or drug dealers or whatever else they could be and considered unfit parents. So their kids end up in foster homes like this to get a second chance at life, but they do stuff that their parents would do and ruin that chance.”

I was speechless. I felt so sorry for them and I wanted to help them. But what could I do? If Alistair couldn’t help them, what chance do I have?

“You don’t need to say anything. This would shock anyone,” Alistair reassured.

“What about you? And how do you figure out this stuff?” I questioned.

“My parents are criminals, but I consider myself lucky since I’ve been going through several foster homes since I was four years old. I can’t remember how my parents raised me, and I’m grateful for that.”

“What about being adopted? Have you ever had that opportunity?”

Alistair hesitated with his answer, averting his eyes from me. I hoped I didn’t make him upset by asking that question.

“It’s rare, but possible. You have to be very lucky to be wanted by a couple,” Alistair responded dejectedly.

As much as I wanted to press him about it, I didn’t want him to dig deep and resurface the painful memories. Instead, I decided this could be a great opportunity to find out a bit more about him, like hobbies.

“Let’s talk about something else, like... what’s your favourite thing?” I enquired.

Alistair glanced at me for a short time, taken aback by the sudden change in topic. Then he went down to the floor on his hands and knees, reaching for something under his bed. Once he retrieved what he was searching for, he stood up and sat next to me on my bed.

The item in his hands was a CD Walkman, with earphones plugged in the audio socket. I remembered all the cool kids in my class had one of these, and bragged about how they could take their music with them everywhere they go. I understood why it was hidden, but I had no idea how Alistair managed to get one of those.

“I really like music. All kinds of music, as long as it sounds good. Do you want to listen?”

“Yeah.”

Alistair handed me one earphone, and we both put ours in one of our ears at the same time. Alistair looked at me, checking if I was ready before he pressed the play button.

Immediately, the song began with a mellow guitar riff, drums, bass and singing. I instantly recognised the song, it had been played on the radio a lot, and it only came out last year. Alistair bit his lip, and I chuckled.

“This is _Sex and Candy_ by Marcy Playground, right?” I stated.

“Yeah, we could change the song if you want,” Alistair responded gingerly, like he wanted to skip to a different song.

“It’s fine. I like this song. It’s about a guy who walks in on his girlfriend cheating on him,” I replied.

His eyes widened, but then he confirmed, “Yeah. The song kind of shows this could happen to anyone, you know.”

I agreed with him, and listened to the song blasting in one of my ears. It was a short and sweet song, and everything sounded awesome. Suddenly, I felt an urge to tell Alistair some random thing about me.

“Hey Alistair, did you know I was named after a song?”

“Wow... Wait, what song does have your name in it,” Alistair pondered, cupping his chin, “Oh wait, I think I know! _Oh Sherrie_ by the frontman of Journey, Steve Perry.”

“That’s right. Although, my mum hated how it was spelt, so I ended up with a ‘y’ at the end of my name, instead of the ‘ie’.”

“That’s pretty funny how that worked out. The song came out the year I was born, so you must’ve been born close to that year.”

“Yep. Born in eighty six.”

Abruptly, Harrison opened the door to our room, his arms crossed over his chest. Me and Alistair pulled our earphones out, and he backed off from me. I seriously hope we weren’t in too much trouble.

“It’s a nice conversation and all, but it’s past curfew and you two need to hit the hay,” Harrison ordered.

“Sorry,” we both said in unison.

“I’ll be working here again on Friday, so I won’t see you both for a few days. So make sure you stay good until then, especially you Sherry. Goodnight!” Harrison chimed, and shut the door.

As I watched Alistair climb into bed, I sank down under my blankets. I really wished I could fall asleep right away, but thoughts of what was going to happen in the near future had me worried. How much time would I be able to spend with Alistair and everyone else here? How much time was experimentation and homeschooling going to take out of my day?

All I knew was that I had to savour the time I had with the people around me, especially Alistair.

“Goodnight Sherry. Sweet dreams.”

I perked my head up a little bit, watching Alistair close his eyes. He was at peace, like he had nothing bothering him. Maybe, I should pretend that I was a normal kid, so that nothing could disturb my rest. My eyes began to flutter shut, as I found the peace I needed to sleep. 

“Goodnight Alistair.”


End file.
